This motion followed a heated debate between Reps. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) and Tom Price (R-Ga.) over an amendment to a bill providing housing assistance to Gulf Coast residents affected by the 2005 hurricanes.

Proposed by Price, the amendment would have removed language in the bill allowing cities and states receiving federal disaster aid to use other government grants to meet requirements to match the federal money with local government contributions. In Price's words, the amendment "would make certain that local and state individuals have a responsibility, have an incentive to make sure these programs are sound."

Taylor was incensed with the suggestion that Gulf Coast states would misuse the funds, and he told Price that he should "have the decency" to visit Mississippi "before you hold them to a standard that you would never hold your own people to and you have failed to hold the Bush administration to."

The acting chairman of the House ruled that Taylor had impugned Price's character by questioning his decency and required that the words be stricken from the record. House rules dictate that Members whose words have been struck are prohibited from participating in floor debate for the rest of the day. In order for Taylor to continue participating in floor, a majority of the House had to vote to allow it.

By a vote of 265-160 the House moved to do just that, and Taylor was allowed to participate in the rest of the day's debate. Taylor later admitted that his words were "a little bit too strong" but reaffirmed his opposition to the amendment. "How does a town that is gone come up with matching funds?" Taylor asked. (Price's amendment ended up failing by a vote of 98-333.)